Andaman islands · the spectacle and the slow one
Phi Phi Islands vs Koh Lanta: which is better for your trip?
Koh Lanta to stay a while; Phi Phi for the spectacle. They're 30 minutes apart by speedboat all year, so the honest plan is two nights on Phi Phi for the bays and the rest on Lanta for the calm.
- Destination
- Phi Phi Islands
- Koh Lanta
- Budget day
- ฿1,500
- ฿1,200
- Mid-range day
- ฿4,000
- ฿3,000
- Best months
- November – April
- November – April
- Crowds
- Very High
- Moderate
- Listed here
- 128 places
- 151 places
By Mac Kiley · Updated Sep 13, 2026
Pick Phi Phi Islands if…
- The postcard bays, Maya Bay and the viewpoint are the trip
- You want nightlife, diving and a young crowd in one walkable village
- You have two or three nights, not a week
Pick Koh Lanta if…
- You're staying a week or more, or traveling with kids
- Calm water, quiet beaches, and a road you can drive at your own pace
- Budget matters, and Lanta is about ฿300 a day cheaper and far cheaper by the month
Why I'd choose that way
Phi Phi is the Andaman at its most dramatic and its most crowded, with cliffs straight out of glassy water, Maya Bay under no-swim rules, Tonsai's fire shows, and Bida's wall dives. Everything is boat-only and car-free, and nothing is cheap. Its crowds are very high; Lanta's are moderate.
Lanta is the region's unhurried island, with 25 km of west coast getting quieter to the south, Kantiang Bay's jungle-backed sand, Lanta Old Town's stilt houses, the national park lighthouse, and day boats to Koh Rok and the Trang islands. The main road is flat and sane, the water is calm and shallow, and a month costs what a week does on Phi Phi.
Same season for both (November to April; both half close or get rough from May to October). The difference is pace, price and noise.
Phi Phi Islands vs Koh Lanta at a glance
| Factor | Phi Phi Islands | Koh Lanta |
|---|---|---|
| Budget day | ฿1,500 · $45 | ฿1,200 · $36 |
| Mid-range day | ฿4,000 · $119 | ฿3,000 · $90 |
| Mid-range hotel | ฿3,000 · $90 | ฿2,200 · $66 |
| Best months | November – April | November – April |
| Rainy months | May – October | May – October |
| Avoid | May – October (rough crossings, storm swell) | May – October (monsoon; many businesses close) |
| Temperature | 25–32°C | 24–33°C |
| Crowds | Very High · peak December – February | Moderate · peak December – January & European school vacations |
| Best for | The postcard version, with karst bays, snorkel days and party nights | Families, long stays, calm water, easy driving |
| Beach | Tonsai's twin bays, Long Beach; Maya Bay by boat | Klong Dao, Long Beach, Kantiang Bay |
| Nights | Big for its size, with Tonsai's fire shows and beach bars | Beanbag beach bars, not a strip |
| Getting there | ~2 hr ferry from Phuket or 1.5–2 hrs from Krabi; no airport, no cars | 2–2.5 hr minivan from Krabi airport; high-season ferries |
Daily figures are typical totals for a hostel or mid-range hotel, food, local transport and one activity; they move with season. USD at ฿33.5. Full breakdown on the Thailand travel costs page.
What you'd actually do there
The best-known places on each side, one per kind, plus a hidden gem. Ratings re-sync from Google monthly.
Phi Phi IslandsVery High crowds
Koh Phi Phi DonIslands4.6(930)
Pi Leh BayActivities & Tours4.8(8,597)
The Mango GardenRestaurants & Food4.8(3,770)
Massages THAIWellness & Spas Hidden gem4.9(45)
- Maya Bay on Phi Phi Leh — the recovered icon, visited under no-swim rules
- The Phi Phi viewpoint's twin-bay panorama above Tonsai
- Pi Leh Lagoon and Loh Samah — kayak-and-snorkel karst lagoons
Koh LantaModerate crowds
Lanta Old TownTemples & Culture4.4(6,227)
Yawee RestaurantRestaurants & Food4.8(2,978)
Following Giants Koh Lanta Ethical Elephant SanctuaryActivities & Tours4.9(2,323)
Lanta CantinaNightlife & Bars Hidden gem5.0(73)
- Kantiang Bay — jungle-backed sand regularly ranked Thailand's prettiest
- Lanta Old Town's teak stilt houses over the eastern sea
- Mu Ko Lanta National Park lighthouse at the island's wild southern tip
The day trips that decide it
What each place is a base for. Real prices and dates are on the partner.
Phi Phi IslandsMaya Bay and Phi Phi Leh boat trips
Most bookings cancel free up to 24 hours ahead
See tours and pricesKoh LantaKoh Rok and Trang islands boat trips
Most bookings cancel free up to 24 hours ahead
See tours and pricesAlso on Klook:Phi Phi Islands toursKoh Lanta tours
Where to stay
Best Hotels in Phi Phi Islands
My pick at each price level in Phi Phi Islands, going by Google's hotel class. Hotels from my ranked list of the 9 best come first, then the best-reviewed. Each button opens the hotel on Booking.com with your dates filled in.
#1Luxury · 5-star
SAii Phi Phi Island Village Resort4.5 (5,076 reviews)
Unfussy beachfront resort with 3 restaurants & a gym, plus an outdoor pool, a spa & free breakfast.
Check rates
#5Mid-range · 4-star
Phi Phi CoCo Beach Resort4.2 (1,918 reviews)
A beach base away from the party strip, for people who want Phi Phi's water without the noise all night.
Check rates
#2Budget · 3-star
Phi Phi The Beach Resort4.3 (2,629 reviews)
A beachfront base on Phi Phi for people who want the boat trips, not the bar crawl.
Check rates
Where to stay
Best Hotels in Koh Lanta
My pick at each price level in Koh Lanta, going by Google's hotel class. Hotels from my ranked list of the 10 best come first, then the best-reviewed. Each button opens the hotel on Booking.com with your dates filled in.
#2Luxury · 5-star
Avani+ Koh Lanta Krabi Resort4.6 (1,202 reviews)
Upscale rooms & villas, some with private pools, plus 2 restaurants, a beachfront bar & a spa.
Check rates
#3Budget · 3-star
Anda Lanta Resort4.6 (798 reviews)
Modest beachfront getaway offering an outdoor pool, a Thai/European restaurant & loaner kayaks.
Check rates
Doing both Phi Phi Islands and Koh Lanta
Bundhaya's speedboat links Phi Phi and Lanta in 30 minutes all year, and slower ferries add sailings from November to April. Do Phi Phi first, arriving from Phuket or Krabi, then let Lanta slow you down.
Bookable departures · refreshed daily
Koh Phi Phi → Koh Lanta: departure times you can book now
Every departure currently on sale through 12Go for this route, by class. Fares are the spread across the classes shown; the exact price for a seat and date is on the booking page.
Ferry & speedboat
| Class | Departures |
|---|---|
| Speedboat | 13:00, 13:30, 15:30 |
Times and fares as sold on 12Go, refreshed daily. Services sold only locally — ordinary trains, weekend excursion trains, walk-up pier tickets — are not listed; see the table above for those. Sponsored link: we may earn a commission when you book, at no extra cost to you.
Phi Phi Islands or Koh Lanta? Questions people ask
Is Koh Lanta cheaper than Phi Phi?
Yes, about ฿1,200 a day on a budget against ฿1,500, and ฿3,000 against ฿4,000 mid-range. Long-stay bungalow rates widen the gap further.
Which is better for diving?
Both are good and different. Phi Phi's Bida Nok and Bida Nai walls are the classic day, while Lanta's Hin Daeng and Hin Muang are the manta and whale-shark pinnacles. Lanta's are the bigger sites.
Is Phi Phi too crowded?
In December to February, Tonsai and Maya Bay are very busy. Staying overnight and going out at dawn is the workaround; if crowds are a dealbreaker, Lanta is the answer.
How do I get between Phi Phi and Koh Lanta?
Bundhaya's speedboat takes 30 minutes for ฿700 and runs all year, one boat a day from May to mid-October and several from 15 October. From November the slower ferries, about an hour, run too.
Written by
Mac Kiley
I lived in Bangkok for four years and traveled the country from there. The guides are my own opinions, written the way I'd explain them to a friend planning a trip.
More about Mac